Writing a journal is not just about keeping a record of daily events – journal writing provides a unique therapeutic opportunity for facilitating healing and growth.
This book guides the reader through developing journal writing to use as a therapeutic tool. Keeping a journal can help the writer to develop a better understanding of themselves, their relationships and the world around them, as well as improve skills of problem-solving, decision-making and planning. As such, journal writing can be a powerful complement to verbal therapy, offering an effective and affordable way of extending support to troubled clients. The book includes advice on working with individuals, facilitating a therapeutic writing group, proposed clinical applications, practical techniques, useful journal prompts, exercises and case vignettes.
This clear guide to the basics of journaling and its development as a therapeutic medium will be a valuable handbook for therapists, health and social care practitioners, teachers, life coaches, writing facilitators and any professional seeking personal development in themselves or their clients.
Contents:
- Acknowledgements.
- Foreword. Kathleen Adams, Center for Journal Therapy, USA.
- Preface.
- Part 1. Understanding the basics. Introduction.
- 1. Preparing for therapeutic journal writing.
- 2. Using therapeutic journal writing in practice settings.
- Part 2. Structured techniques.
- 3. Beginnings and endings.
- 4. Lists.
- 5. Stepping stones.
- 6. Description and deeper.
- Part 3. Less structured techniques.
- 7. Journal dialogues.
- 8. Unsent letters.
- 9. Perspectives.
- 10. Opening up.
- Part 4. Applications for practice.
- 11. What works for whom?
- 12. Journal writing in professional supervision.
- Afterword.
- List of journal prompts.
- About the author: A personal journey from diary to therapeutic journal writing.
- References.
- Index.
Author Bio:
Kate Thompson is a BACP (the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy) Senior Accredited Counsellor and Supervisor, a journal therapist, and Vice-Chair of Lapidus
Review:
“I believe therapists at all levels will find something of interest in this book, from the trainee struggling with the prescribed task of completing a 15,000 word journal early in their training, to the therapist looking for a tool for the long term, or for clients in time-limited therapy” – Therapy Today
“This is a wide ranging and user friendly source book, Kate Thompson has thoroughly covered the material available. It will be of use to anyone looking for new and effective ways to gain insight into either themselves or the people they work with and care for. It lays the foundation for all technical books in the field and is that rare thing in a psychology book; the material won’t date and so makes a timeless, worthwhile investment” – Private Practice (formerly Independent Practitioner) and Sussex Counselling & Psychotherapy Journal.